Terming the Coalgate scam as India’s hall of shame, the BJP on Wednesday said the scandal speaks volumes of the Congress-led UPA’s corrupt empire.

“Coal blocks have been allocated with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signing on them as Coal Minister. The CAG estimates a loss of more than Rs 10 Lakh crore to the national exchequer,” BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said addressing a Press conference in New Delhi.

Lekhi said, “The recent action of ex-Law Minister Ashwini Kumar to alter the CBI’s probe report on Coalgate in order to protect Manmohan Singh’s culpability is too very well known. The CBI being a caged parrot of the Congress it seems is finally acting fast at the behest of Supreme Court.”

The BJP demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister to facilitate a free and fair investigation. “It is such an irony that the same CBI which reports to the PM is now directly investigating the PMO on the actions of the PM who is still in the office. To facilitate a free and fair investigation Manmohan Singh must step aside. It will be in the interest of the nation that truth on this matter must come out expeditiously. It is to be investigated whether PM acted of his own or was part of a larger conspiracy and was only complying with his role,” the BJP spokesperson said.

On CBI questioning some PMO officials in Colagate case, Lekhi said, “It is is merely the first step. We will hope that the CBI questionnaire is honest and bring out the truths.”

“As neither the mandatory procedure was followed and nor the back ground checks were performed, before allocating the Coal blocks to the companies. Only after the interrogation of the tainted PM, the details of the conspiracy will be unraveled,” she said.

Terming the Coalgate scam as India’s hall of shame, the BJP on Wednesday said the scandal speaks volumes of the Congress-led UPA’s corrupt empire.

“Coal blocks have been allocated with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signing on them as Coal Minister. The CAG estimates a loss of more than Rs 10 Lakh crore to the national exchequer,” BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said addressing a Press conference in New Delhi.

Lekhi said, “The recent action of ex-Law Minister Ashwini Kumar to alter the CBI’s probe report on Coalgate in order to protect Manmohan Singh’s culpability is too very well known. The CBI being a caged parrot of the Congress it seems is finally acting fast at the behest of Supreme Court.”

The BJP demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister to facilitate a free and fair investigation. “It is such an irony that the same CBI which reports to the PM is now directly investigating the PMO on the actions of the PM who is still in the office. To facilitate a free and fair investigation Manmohan Singh must step aside. It will be in the interest of the nation that truth on this matter must come out expeditiously. It is to be investigated whether PM acted of his own or was part of a larger conspiracy and was only complying with his role,” the BJP spokesperson said.

On CBI questioning some PMO officials in Colagate case, Lekhi said, “It is is merely the first step. We will hope that the CBI questionnaire is honest and bring out the truths.”

“As neither the mandatory procedure was followed and nor the back ground checks were performed, before allocating the Coal blocks to the companies. Only after the interrogation of the tainted PM, the details of the conspiracy will be unraveled,” she said.